# Countdown vs Giving Gifts

The clearest difference is rating: Countdown at 4.7 against Giving Gifts's 3.6. Countdown also leads on ratings volume (24K vs 5) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Giving Gifts's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Giving Gifts sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 24K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 78% of Giving Gifts's.

Countdown ships an update weekly, Giving Gifts monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Giving Gifts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-event-countdown/id983258067/reviews)** | [3.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/giving-gifts-idea-planner/id1323155007/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 77.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 200 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ROOT38 LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1206411222) | [TICE GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494324815) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-event-countdown/id983258067)

Easily track important dates and events with a beautifully designed countdown timer and calendar. Set unlimited countdowns, customize with icons and colors, and receive basic reminders. Share your upcoming events with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Unlimited event countdowns, Count up or down to events, Customizable icons and colors, Add notes to events, Basic notifications and reminders, Event sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium 3 Months | $5.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly (50% Off) | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Customizable colors and icons
- 🕰️ Helpful for tracking upcoming events
- 💻 Works well on multiple devices
- 🧠 Assists with time management and organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Premium features locked behind paywall
- 💸 Aggressive promotion of premium version
- 🔔 Lack of customizable notifications
- 🗓️ Missing calendar view and repeat event options
- 🐛 Issues with past event tracking and data loss after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Premium subscription issues after updates
- Inconsistent font sizing and layout
- Countdown accuracy problems for distant events

**Requested features**

- Calendar view integration
- Repeat/recurring event options
- More customization for notifications
- Ability to view past event details
- Improved handling of long-term countdowns


### Giving Gifts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/giving-gifts-idea-planner/id1323155007)

Never forget a gift idea again. This app helps you organize and manage your gift ideas for upcoming events and people. Keep track of who you've gifted and what you've planned, with optional premium features for enhanced organization and security.

**Highlights:** Organize gift ideas, Manage upcoming events, Track gifts and recipients, Add gift details (shop, price, URL), App lock for privacy, Contact favorites

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Mode (Monthly) | $0.49 | per month |
| Premium Mode (Annual) | $4.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Giving Gifts free?

Giving Gifts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or Giving Gifts?

Countdown is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Giving Gifts averages 3.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do Countdown or Giving Gifts have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Giving Gifts does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Giving Gifts?

Countdown ships an update weekly, and Giving Gifts monthly. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 26, 2026 and Giving Gifts on June 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*